Wireless communication devices generally operate in either licensed RF bands or an unlicensed RF bands. Radiotelephone service providers generally acquire licenses to operate a wireless communication system in one or more of a plurality of licensed RF bands. These systems employ multiple methods to allow multiple access by multiple mobile stations on a common band of frequency channels. One such access technique, frequency division multiple access (FDMA), allows multiple access by assigning the mobile stations to different frequency channels within the RF band. Some of these systems employ frequency hopping, wherein data is transmitted to and from the intended mobile station while periodically changing the frequency channel. The periodic channel frequency hopping occurs on a regular time interval known as a frame. Coordinated frequency hopping systems use predetermined hopping patterns, or hop-sets, wherein the hop-sets are coordinated between all mobile stations to ensure that the signals to and from two or more mobile stations do not occur simultaneously on the same frequency channel. Uncoordinated frequency hopping does not coordinate the hop-set between mobile stations resulting in the periodic occurrence of simultaneous signal transmission on the same frequency. Such simultaneous transmissions are referred to as channel collisions. Data reception errors occurring during a channel collision are referred to as data collisions. Uncoordinated frequency hopping within this type of system is generally not used as the channel collisions and resultant data collisions will occur. The FCC has prohibited coordinated frequency hopping within the Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) bands in order to avoid spectrum aggregation by a single type of service.
Systems such as Bluetooth and 802.11 wireless communication systems, for example operate within the ISM bands. To avoid data collisions these systems may monitor the band and choose to operate only in unoccupied sub-bands. These systems may also change sub-bands as the result of the detection of interferer signal strength or the detection of signaling errors indicative of a channel collision with another transmitting station. However channel collisions still occur as devices must sense the interference caused by a channel collision in order to change the frequency sub-band.
Therefore, in order for a GSM system to be compliant with FCC regulations a change to the hopping channel assignment scheme is needed such that the hopping channel assignments are uncoordinated. Therefore, what is needed is a method for the elimination of data collision errors caused by frequency hopping channel collisions in an uncoordinated frequency hopping system.